7,000 Miles To Georgia
by rainblah
Summary: Daryl Dixon has the hardest decision he'll ever have to make in front of him. Does he stay with the only girl he's ever loved or risk it all in hopes of giving her the future they've always wanted? Rated M: Violence, language, sexual content, etc.
1. Chapter 1

"You can't be serious." Beth was trying her best to keep from yelling in the restaurant. She knew something had to be going on for Daryl to take her to such a nice place. He hadn't been much of the "date" type. They usually just hung out in Daryl's apartment and watched movies. Some might think it was stupid, but Beth enjoyed it. They didn't need to spend money to have a good time.

"Beth, jus' listen to me…" Daryl reached across the table, enclosing her tiny hand in his. The slight trembling of her fingers nearly broke his heart. It's not like he _wanted_ to do this… he had no other choice. If he wanted to have any future with Beth, he needed to go to college. All he had was his GED. She deserved the best life possible, and with the way things were going, he wouldn't be able to provide her with that.

"Daryl, I'm going to college. I'll be graduated in 2 years. We have time to figure things out, but this…" Her ponytail swayed as she shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. The last thing she wanted was to be without Daryl. She knew money was tight, but they could work through it. She'd find another job if she had to.

"Think of the benefits. It will pay for college, help with finding a house, healthcare. It's not like I'm going to disappear. We can email… skype, maybe." His throat was constricting and he had to swallow a few times so he could speak again.

"I've already gone and talked to the local recruiting office. I took my physical. Everything's ready to go…" Daryl's eyebrows drew together when she yanked her hand away, accusing him of lying to her.

"I never lied, Beth. I just didn't tell you that I was doing it. I knew you'd freak out and I wanted to get all the details before I brought it up." The conversation was beginning to get louder and he feared of nearby tables listening in on the conversation. His strategy was to take Beth somewhere public so she wouldn't blow up, but he wasn't exactly sure that it'd work that way.

"It's dangerous… and what am I supposed to do? Just sit around waiting for you? That's not fair."

"It's not fair for me to get ourselves into a shitty situation. I'm thinking of our future together. I'm almost 26, I need to do something." Daryl ran his hand over his face, trying to calm himself down.

"I can't think of being so far away from you… and for months on end." Beth's anger was slowly melting into a deep fear of being alone. The corners of her eyes were beginning to sting, threatening to produce tears. She blinked rapidly, holding her breath. There was nothing worse than crying in front of Daryl. It was like another person's sadness physically hurt him. When Beth's grandmother died, he went to the funeral with her. The whole time, Daryl held her like she was the most precious being in the entire universe. Like, if he let her go, she'd fall apart and break completely.

"Please don't." Daryl's voice came out as more of a growl than he intended. The tears always got to him. Even when Beth cried because of things unrelated to their relationship, he took responsibility. If she cried now, he knew it was because of him. He didn't know if he'd be able to go through with what he was going to do if she started to cry. The first time he ever made her cry was because he called her a naïve bitch. As soon as he saw a tear hit her cheek, he wrapped his arm around here. Since then, he'd learned to control his temper around Beth. They were older now, but he still looked at her as the sensitive 18 year old he knew and loved.

"Did I do something?" As soon as the words left Beth's mouth, she was full out sobbing. Since her mother left when she was a child, she had abandonment issues. She had plenty of love from her sister, Maggie, and father, but there was always that thought of, 'Was it something I did?' Her 8 year old mind convinced her that it was her fault. Even after 12 years, she still believed it.

"No. You know that isn't at all the case. You just deserve more, and I want to give it to you. I don't want you to find someone else who can offer you more…"

"That's not gonna happen!" The few people sitting around them craned their necks to study the feuding couple. Beth's hands hid her face as her shoulders shook, sobs raking through her petite figure. After only a few seconds, strong arms were wrapped around her.

"C'mon." Daryl murmured into her ear, standing and pulled her up with him. He shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out a wad of crumpled five dollar bills, tossing it on the table without counting them. The last thing on his mind was how much money he owed the waiter. All he could think of was getting Beth in his truck and soothing her tears.

* * *

"How long have you been hiding this from me?" Beth's head was against Daryl's chest, the two of them sitting in the cab of his pickup.

"A few weeks." It was a lie, but he figured if he told her, "Oh just the past year," she'd only get more upset. He had been struggling to pay rent at his apartment for nearly 16 months. Working at the auto shop was easy for him, considering he grew up doing his own repairing, but $15.60 an hour wasn't going to cut it. Especially not if he wanted to start a family. Whether it was with Beth or not, he'd need to be able to support himself along with others.

The only sound was of Beth's occasional post-sobbing hiccup or sniffle. Neither of them knew what to say. She loved him and he loved her. She had been with him for two years and spent nearly every day beside him. They talked about moving in together and maybe getting married. Now all of it was going to be put on pause for God knows how long? There was a dull ache in the pit of her stomach, accompanied by a slow developing migraine. A thousand things were running through her mind. What if he got hurt? What if he found someone else? What if he was just lying to get away from her? What if, what if, what if? The knot in her stomach only grew larger and she clenched her teeth. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to win this battle.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Daryl's eyes widened, straightening up in his seat.

"If thousands of other woman can do it, I can to. I'm going to be the best damn army girlfriend there ever was." She forced a sad smile, sitting up to face the man she loved more than anything. Her fingers found the back of his neck and her lips met his in a gentle kiss.

This was going to be one of the hardest things she had ever done, but she knew that their relationship was strong enough to get through it. At least she hoped so.

* * *

**WELCOME TO MY NEW FANFIC! This one is obviously much different. I got inspired by watching the military homecoming videos. *sob* **

**This one will be a heart breaker, but those make the best stories, right? **

**(Each chapter will get longer.)**

**Happy reading(:**


	2. Chapter 2

**ONE MONTH LATER**

Beth sat with her face in her hands, sitting at the recruiting station in Atlanta. They were waiting for the bus that would take Daryl and all the others to basic training. As much as she had attempted to mentally prepare herself over the last 4 weeks, she still couldn't wrap her head around the situation she was in. They even had everything prepared. Beth had moved into Daryl's apartment and her family was going to help pay the rent. The couple would email whenever they could and he'd call her every chance he got. 'It'll be like I'm not even gone.' He had promised, though Beth could hardly entertain the thought. Since the beginning of their relationship, Beth felt like her heart was a flower. That was the only way she could describe it. Every time he gave her his cocky grin or rubbed his chin, the flower would bloom more and more. It had filled her and she swore it was what kept her going. Now that he was leaving… it would wither. The fear of spiraling into the depression she had endured as a young girl terrified her and kept her up at night. Daryl Dixon was her saving grace.

"I'm only going to be an hour away." Daryl's soothing voice pulled her from her daunting thoughts. His piercing eyes were almost enough to make her forget the nightmare she was enduring.

"You might as well be on the other side of the world. You've already sworn in. It's not like you can just come back home if something goes wrong or if I need you. I can't just call you to see how you are. I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't." Beth's blonde hair was blowing slightly, swaying past her shoulders when she turned to look at him. The thought of him losing all of his golden hair was enough to make her eyes begin to well up. She just wanted things to stay how they were. Change was never easy, for anyone, but a change like this was something she never imagined for her relationship. She had lost someone she loved once. It wasn't fair for her to go through it all over again.

"I'll be okay, you have to know that. When I come back, things will be so much better. I'm doing this for us." Daryl had repeated that same bundle of words probably 50 times since he first told her about his plan. It was all he could do, promise her that things were going to be okay.

The moment she let out a choked sob, he moved his duffel bag from between them and pulled her into his embrace. The feeling of her tiny fingers lacing in his hair made him wonder if he was doing the right thing. Then again, he knew the right thing to do was never the easiest.

What little distance there was between them was closed when Beth crawled into his lap. She didn't care that there were a dozen other men standing around, waiting to be transported to Fort Benning.

"I'm so scared." The admission was barely audible but just loud enough for it to ring in Daryl's ears. He didn't want her scared. He wanted her proud, excited.

Before he got to respond, a large black and white bus pulled up to the curb. The doors swung open and a middle aged man with more than the average amount of pimples gave them a big smile.

"Hurry up, men. Basic training is waiting."

* * *

Beth could feel her heartbeat in her head, standing up quickly. All the other men were already boarding the vehicle. She covered her hands with the sleeves of her hoodie while Daryl gathered the few things he had. The sound of the roaring engine was enough to make her sick. That was going to be the last thing she heard when Daryl left her. The sound of goodbye. Her eyes were transfixed on her boyfriend as he stuffed his baggage into the hutch on the side of the bus. She was stuck in place, just watching everything going on around her. She didn't even realize she was weeping until Daryl stepped forward and wiped her cheeks with the pad of his thumbs.

"My girl… Please don't cry." He tried to soothe her, but his own words were beginning to shake. There was no way he could cry in front of all these guys.

"Don't leave me. I love you so much. I can't handle this, Daryl, I can't…" Beth was beginning to hyperventilate and she wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her nose into his chest. The musky and minty scent of him only made the pain worse. How long would it take before his scent faded from the clothes he left at his apartment?

Rough hands cupped both of her cheeks and tilted her head up. Two sets of blue eyes met.

"Bethany Annette Greene, you are the strongest girl I have ever met. You're so special, and so smart… and I love you more than anything else in this entire world. Nothing could ever take me away from you. We'll be together again before you know it. You're the only thing in this world that I have. I wouldn't do this if I had any thought that this would go wrong. Everything is going to be fine. Do you hear me?" Daryl made sure to keep Beth's stare, tuning out the blare of the bus's horn. He watched Beth intently, smiling when she nodded, trying to hold back the cries that were stuck in her throat.

"That's my girl." He planted a delicate kiss on her lips, squeezing his eyes shut. The overwhelming urge to stay there with her was killing Daryl.

"Come on, lover boy!" The driver was getting impatient, tapping his finger on his wrist even though he didn't have a watch on.

"I love you." Beth squished herself against him one last time before stepping back, stuffing her hands in her hoodie's pocket so she didn't reach for him again.

Daryl slid his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a small square of paper. It had to of been folded at least six times.

"Read this when you get home." He held it out for her, placing it in her palm. He closed his hands around hers and brought it up to his lips, kissing her knuckles.

"I love you, too."

* * *

Beth had spent probably twenty minutes in her car before she could actually calm down enough to drive home. The longest she had been away from Daryl since they started dating was one week. Even then, they texted all day and called each other every single day. Now she didn't know when she would be able to talk to him, let alone touch him again.

After taking a long shower, she slipped into Daryl's bed. Well, his old bed. His new bed was probably some stiff cot in a room full of dozens of other men. She pushed the thought away quickly. Negative thoughts would only make things harder. She needed to positivity.

Maggie had called her twice to check how she was doing but Beth didn't want to talk to anyone. All she wanted to do was surround herself with things that reminded her of her absent love. With all of Daryl's blankets wrapped around her tiny body, she leaned off the bed and grabbed her hoodie that was in a heap on the floor. She slid her hand into the pocket and pulled out the note. Daryl had written her name on the outside in his messy handwriting. She wondered when he wrote it. They had spent every last second together ever since she found out. Maybe he did it while she was at school.

Her fingers worked tentatively to undo every fold, smoothing the paper out on her knee. She pulled her glasses out of her purse and slid them over the bridge of her nose.

_ "Dear Beth,_

_I'm writing this while you're sleeping. I'm leaving for basic training tomorrow and I can't sleep. I haven't been able to sleep for the past few weeks. It may seem like this is easy for me, but it isn't. Please don't think that I want to leave you. You're the only thing I look forward to everyday. I don't know how the hell I ended up with someone as perfect as you. I really don't._

_Is it a cliché to say that I miss you already? 'Cause I swear I do. Looking at you right now, so peaceful, it's like nothing else matters. I remember the first time I watched you sleep. It was our first date. I picked you up from your high school and we went to my apartment. You had to hide it from your dad and tell him you were going to study with a friend. No wonder he didn't like me. _

_We were watching Paranormal Activity and halfway through, I looked over to see why you were making such a weird noise, and you were snoring. (Don't deny it, you snore.) I was so embarrassed. I thought there was no way you would ever agree to hanging out again. I was so paranoid, and that's when I realized how special you were. Never in my life had I been so nervous around a girl. Most of my dates consisted of feeling up girls and drinking. Merle always teased me about liking you, the preacher's daughter. I acted like it was no big deal, like it was no different. Shit, was I wrong. _

_From that moment on, I knew that you were the girl that I wanted to be with. I mean really be with. Do you remember what you said when you woke up? I was panicking because I thought I ruined my first legitimate date, and you said, 'Oh, crap. I hope I'm not an ugly sleeper.' An ugly sleeper? Really? Girl, you make puking look good. And I've seen a lot of girls puke. I got off topic._

_All I wanted to say is that I love you, and I've loved you since you lied to your dad for me. I've loved you through everything, and I'll love you through everything to come. Please stop crying, I know you are. _

_-Daryl"_

Beth could hardly read the last two paragraphs, her vision blurred from the tears.

"Shit." She cursed, realizing that she was crying right onto the paper. The ink was smudging and she blew on it, trying to fix the lettering. The sentence was hardly readable and she sighed, setting it beside her. She ran the letter through her head and bit at her lip, reaching over to the nightstand. She opened the drawer and pulled out a journal and pen, turning to a blank page. Her cursive handwriting began to fill the page.

_"Dear Daryl,_

_First of all- _

_I don't snore…"_

* * *

**I hope you like this chapter, I put a lot of emotion into it. I may have cried once or twice. **

**Do you like it? Reviews and favorite and all that jazz are always appreciated yadda yadda yadda**

**Also, MaddieMarie1212 told me to listen to "Travelin' Soldier" by the Dixie Chicks. It is the epitome of this story. So, if you want to cry, listen to it and imagine our beloved Beth and Daryl. **

**Visit my blog if you enjoy AU's and edits of Bethyl(; click here**

**Happy Reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Daryl's fingers were laced behind his head, laying on a small cot in a room full of other men. He had been in basic training for nearly a month and was going to begin boot camp in five more weeks. The one time he got to call Beth was during breakfast the day after he arrived to Fort Benning and he could only leave her a voicemail. He had told her where to send letters, who to address it to, and that he loved her.

Unlike Daryl, Beth didn't have to wake up at five in the morning. Who would want to? He had never been the type who could just wake up. There was a process. Wake up, check your phone, turn on the tv, fall back asleep for ten minutes, wake up again, pee, eat leftover pizza for breakfast, shower. Worked like a charm for nearly three years. Now everyone expected him to wake up before the birds did. It might not have been so bad if he hadn't been greeted by a screaming man as soon as he entered the small cafeteria.

"Your chow's getting' cold!" The man would bark every single morning, like Daryl didn't know how temperatures worked.

"Yes sir," was the only thing they were allowed to say. Other conversation was often awkward and nearly startling. Adjusting to this parallel lifestyle could drive anyone insane. Every single night he thought of his Beth. Her pale blonde hair, creamy skin, sky blue eyes. There was nothing he could do to try and distract himself. You'd think that twelve hours of manual labor would clear your mind, but quite to contrary. The mindless activity only made his thoughts wander even more. He wondered how she was doing in school, how she liked living at the apartment, what she wanted for dinner. All the questions wouldn't be answered unless he miraculously got a phone that he could use as he pleased. The thought of the sergeant allowing that was comical.

It seemed so strange how he was only an hour from Beth but he might as well been off to wherever he was going to be stationed. Some men were sixteen+ hours from home and didn't seem to care whatsoever. Maybe they didn't have family… or maybe they were like Daryl and knew how to mask any emotion with indifference.

"Mail call!" One of the soldiers rushed in, carrying a cardboard box that was filled with envelopes.

"Shit." Daryl quickly pushed himself into the sitting position, running his fingers through his newly cut hair. It didn't necessarily look blonde, but his hair wasn't exactly the type to be cut short. Beth had always told him how she loved his messy locks. Hopefully they'd grow out before she saw him at his graduation.

"Anything for me, Geoff?" He stood up, looking over the guy's shoulder, plucking out one that had flowers all along the front.

"Hey! You don't know if that's yours." Geoff spun around, eyes narrowed in irritation. Daryl simply showed him the design.

"Yes, I do know." He rose his eyebrows, giving the Geoff to opportunity to say anything else. Thinking wisely, the kid didn't.

"Nice letter, Dixon. D'your boyfriend send it to you?" All the guys laughed, but Daryl was oblivious. He sat on the thin mattress, using his finger to carefully the open letter. It may seem stupid, but he wanted to save the envelope. Anything that came from Beth was like gold to him now.

The first thing he pulled out was a picture of Daryl and Beth that they had taken with a disposable camera while on a trip to her grandparent's old cabin. There was no electricity or gas there so all they had was each other, nonperishable food, and the cheapest disposable camera Beth could find. It was all they needed.

In the picture, the two of them had just waked up, Beth's hair a curly mess and Daryl's eyes narrow as they struggled to adjust to the sunlight. Her face was in his neck and she was laughing. Even for just waking up, she looked stunning. It had always been her favorite picture. She said that it captured the essence of their relationship perfectly. She was smiling even when he was frowning. She was the light in the darkness.

His pointer finger traced the curve of Beth's jaw, as if he could really feel her. The cold paper of the picture hit him like a ton of bricks.

_God_, _he missed her._

He flipped the picture over and read the swirling cursive letters: **_"The best day of my life."_**

"Fuck." He mumbled, tucking the picture into his pillowcase. There was no way he was going to risk any of the guys stealing it or trying to prank him by fucking with it. It was all he had to assure himself that Beth was real, what they had was real, and that he would see her when he got home.

The letter was next. He pulled it out and unfolded the crisp white paper.

* * *

_"Dear Daryl,_

_First of all- _

_I don't snore… If anyone is the snorer, it is you. Don't believe me? Ask the guys you're sharing the cot room with. They'll tell you._

_If you're wondering, I do not know the correct terminology for military related things. They don't teach you that in med school. God, I'm writing this like it's nothing. I don't know if it's sunk in, yet. I just left the bus station. I feel like any minute you're gonna walk through the bedroom door and yell, "Just kiddin'!" Which is a totally mean joke… but if you're going to, do it soon please. I don't know what I'm gonna do while you're gone. It's like the majority of my life has just disappeared. I'll wake up… go to class… and then what? Come home to your empty apartment? Tidy things up? I'm so scared. Not scared for you, I know you can do this. But can I? What if this is too much for me? You're sworn in I mean-_

_I had to stop writing. I should be positive, right? I think I'm going to send a picture with this. I'm not sure which one. Maybe the one from the cabin… you better keep it safe. I only have one. You need it more than I do, though. _

_Are they nice to you there? I heard that the sergeants can be real hard on you new guys. They won't hurt you, right? I doubt it. That has to be illegal or something. I'm sorry that I'm blabbering, I just don't know what to say. I want to make you feel better- or maybe make me feel better- but what can I say? You're just… gone. Is this what Amanda Seyfried felt like in Dear John? I don't know. That movie didn't make me cry. This makes me cry, though. _

_I hope you're doing okay. You're so strong, Daryl. And smart. There's no doubt in my mind that you'll succeed. If anyone can do it, it's you. I just wish I could be there with you. Hey, maybe I should join the military. We can be the dynamic duo. Double D's. I hope you're laughing. I'm trying really hard to make things better. Maybe things are good there, I don't know. I've been writing this letter for so long. I need to quit before my fingers fall off. (Not literally. That's impossible. Thank you, med school.) _

_Sleep well._

_I hope I dream of you tonight. _

_Love, _

_Beth _

_PS- I got your voicemail. I love you, too."_

* * *

Daryl pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to control his breathing. The page had smudges of ink all over; Evidence of her tears. He was more worried about Beth than himself.

"Dixon, you cryin' over there?" The sergeant walked in, arms crossed tightly over his chest.

"No, sir." Daryl quickly stood up, trying to regain his composure while the older man studied the contents that was scattered on his cot.

"You got some mail, hm? Some frilly letter?" Sgt. Clemens picked up the envelope the letter came in, chuckling at all the roses and daisies on the page.

"How about you go ahead and give me 50 pushups." The offer was more of a demand and Daryl knew that, though he couldn't hold back his confusion.

"But I-" As soon as he got out the first word, Sgt. Clemens was screaming in Daryl's ear, asking him 'But what?' repeatedly.

"But nothing, sir!" He kept his chin jutted out, staring ahead as he had been trained. There was no way any of the men in charge would allow the troops to question what they said.

"Make it 100."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

**I'M SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG! I haven't had the motivation and I don't know if I should continue with this fic because I'm not sure if I like it and I'm already writing another and I don't even know if I like that one and UUUGHFHFHF Ya know?**

**Anyway, Not every chapter will just be a letter. I'll be doing a lot of skipping so no one gets bored or too antsy. **

**Reviews are always so kindly appreciated and I'd reaaallly like to know if I should continue with this or not! HAAALP**

**Also, follow me on tumblr if you want: ****b****_e_****ardedshotgun**** - look it up, mayne**

**HAPPY REEEADINGGG **


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